Dang it

I often think that Tai Chi Chuan called be called "boxing with the legs" because movement originates in the lower part of the body, rather than the upper. According to the Tai Chi classics, arm movements are generated by "turning the waist like a wheel", but also, "The jin [intrinsic strength] should be rooted in the feet, generated from the legs, controlled by the waist, and manifested through the fingers."

Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes it's good to look outside of your chosen martial art to see what insights you can get by looking at life through a different lens. Here I'm dipping into the world of Bagua, and in particular the use of the Kwa, and how that can relate back to Tai Chi Chuan.

Everybody has a slightly different definition of what the 'Kwa' is, but as I understand it it's the arch created between the legs when the inner thigh is kept properly rounded. To properly round the Kwa the knees need to have the feeling of pushing outwards. This creates a solid base which can hold the whole body up without unnecessary tension in the upper body.

My understanding of rounding the Kwa is a very similar concept to what Bagua Sifu He Jing Han from Taiwan is talking about when he describes 'Dang Jin' - a 'supporting force' between the thighs. Here he is talking about it in a seminar he did in England in 2006. Take a look:

You can also read his article on the essentials of Horse Stance here, where he further clarifies what Dang Jin is.

Here's a quote:

Image via Wikipedia

"For example, the physical structure of the arch bridge propels power upwardly in the most efficient way. If we want to achieve this same aim in the human body, the muscles around the kuan (hip joints) must be relaxed, making them closely united with the pelvis so that the hip joints are opened up and extended to either side of the body. At the same time, the big tendons of the inner sides of the legs must be connected through huiyin (acupuncture point between the anus and sex organs). The power of those tendons connected together rises upwards through the huiyin, so that both legs can be united, and this is called dangjin. The stable arch of the lower body is based on the stable quadrangle and dangjin generated by this arch will generate upward power, and this power not only prevents dissipation of “lower qi” from the lower belly but also by having a stable pelvis (wherein stability lies at the top of a steady and powerful arch) penetrates upwardly through the spine and reaches the whole body.
Therefore, the horse-riding stance does not mean that the body “sits” on the legs, and that both legs bear the weight of the body. On the contrary, the propping up structure of the shape of both legs goes through the pelvis to the body. In this way, both upper and lower parts of the body are united and during movement both parts will not burden each other."

When I read the words "force" I often think it implies that you have to 'do' something, which, as an engineering student of a physics student would know, isn't necessarily the case. From watching Sifu Han's video I get the impression the 'supporting force' is generated simply by keeping the structure of the inner legs and thigh, rather than 'pushing upwards' with your legs, or anything like that.

The next time you run through your Tai Chi form pay attention to this structure of the inner thigh, and see where you lose it. Where does it feel weak? Where does it collapse? It could open up some interesting avenues for you.